Did Taylor Swift’s New Album Just Save 2020?

In a year that some have called the worst in recorded history, it is not easy to find many positives. But in the final days of 2020, he might be the most unlikely artist ever to help save the year, and ourselves, from utter despair:

Taylor Swift.

Swift’s newest album, Increasingly, was released this week, becoming their third full-length album in less than 18 months. The album is a companion to Folklore, which released in July. The 15 songs, plus the 2 songs from the deluxe physical edition, once again showcase Swift’s gift of writing intimate and narrative songs that make her the icon of her countless fans, known as Swifties, around the world. The album also puts a finishing touch on a year in which Swift also launched two film projects: the documentary American lady, directed by Lana Wilson, and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, a documentary concert film directed and produced by Swift herself.

Aside from her artistic output, Swift also had a transformative year in the way she translated her superstardom to influence the causes that matter to her. Unlike in 2016, when Swift was moderated for sharing her political perspectives, in 2020 Swift made her ideas and passions heard. From publicly criticizing President Trump through her Twitter account to taking a stance on removing Confederate statues in her home state of Tennessee, Swift used her high profile to make powerful statements about the America she wants to live in. He also put his prodigious voice behind the election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, a notable change from his well-observed reluctance to do the same in the last presidential election.

But more than the recordings she made and the accolades she received this year, the surprise release of Taylor Swift’s album in the final month of a controversial 2020 in the form of Covid is an enthusiastic exclamation point in an otherwise year that has elicited. so many questions. Surprising (and delighting) her fans once again, Swift gave her listeners not only an early Christmas present, but also an exquisite one-year coda that, for many, is equal parts unbearable and exhausting.

Ultimately, though, Swift’s surprise album is more than an artistic act. It is also an act of leadership. Since her self-titled album was released in 2006, the world has watched Swift grow from a young teenager to a powerful woman, dealing with all the insecurities, insults, and love experiences that life has to offer. Through her albums, we have heard her express her bravery, contemplate her reputation, reflect on love, and harness her power. We have also seen her express loyalty to her friends and grapple with the indignities of her critics. Above all, we have seen Swift, perhaps this year more than any other, recognize the power of her past and the potential of her future.

It’s in that sense that Swift helped, at least partially, save 2020 from itself. She does this not only with her music, although there is no doubt that her fans rejoice at the additional abundance of songs. Rather, with her most recent album, Swift reminds us that even in the most difficult moments, turning inward shouldn’t always be filled with fear and frustration, but can cultivate curiosity and creativity. With her two 2020 albums, Swift also shows that even in times of profound scarcity, there can be abundance, not just in art, but in attitude as well. Sometimes being forced to pause our plans freezes us, and sometimes allows us to feel liberated, to explore not only our thoughts, but also the folklore of our lives.

Above all, however, Swift embodied the final lesson of 2020 that many of us have learned this year: Life is not a straight line, and it certainly isn’t easy. Yet despite adversity, we all have the ability to shape our own narratives in small and large ways. And that’s not just a skill just for this year. It’s a skill for next year, and the year after, and finally …

Increasingly.